16:1 They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings 1 before God. 16:2 When David finished offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the Lord’s name. 16:3 He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. 16:4 He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel. 16:5 Asaph was the leader and Zechariah second in command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to play stringed instruments; Asaph was to sound the cymbals; 16:6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of God’s covenant.
16:7 That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of thanks to the Lord:
16:8 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations!
16:9 Sing to him! Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds!
16:10 Boast about his holy name!
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
16:11 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!
Seek his presence 2 continually!
16:12 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed, 3
16:13 O children 4 of Israel, God’s 5 servant,
you descendants of Jacob, God’s 6 chosen ones!
16:14 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth. 7
16:15 Remember 8 continually his covenantal decree,
the promise he made 9 to a thousand generations –
16:16 the promise 10 he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac! 11
16:17 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise, 12
16:18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
16:19 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and foreign residents within it,
16:20 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another. 13
16:21 He let no one oppress them,
he disciplined kings for their sake,
16:22 saying, 14 “Don’t touch my anointed ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
16:23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Announce every day 15 how he delivers!
16:24 Tell the nations about his splendor,
tell 16 all the nations about his miraculous deeds!
16:25 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise,
he is more awesome than 17 all gods.
16:26 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, 18
but the Lord made the heavens. 19
16:27 Majestic splendor emanates from him, 20
he is the source of strength and joy. 21
16:28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
16:29 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! 22
Bring an offering and enter his presence!
Worship the Lord in holy attire! 23
16:30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
16:31 Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be happy!
Let the nations say, 24 ‘The Lord reigns!’
16:32 Let the sea and everything in it shout!
Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!
16:33 Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth!
16:34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures. 25
16:35 Say this prayer: 26 “Deliver us, O God who delivers us!
Gather us! Rescue us from the nations!
Then we will give thanks 27 to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.” 28
1 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV “fellowship offerings.”
2 tn Heb “face.”
3 tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
4 tn Heb “seed.”
5 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
8 tn The Hebrew text has a masculine plural imperative, addressed to the people. Some LXX
9 tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 16-18 make clear.
10 tn Heb “which.”
11 tn Heb “his oath to Isaac.”
12 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
13 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”
14 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
15 tn Heb “from day to day.”
16 tn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
17 tn Or “feared above.”
18 tn The Hebrew word אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement. Many modern English translations render this term as “idols” here.
19 tn Or “the sky” (also in v. 31). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
20 tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
21 tn Heb “strength and joy [are] in his place.”
22 tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., due] his name.”
23 tn Or “in holy splendor.”
24 tn Heb “let them say among the nations.”
25 tn Or “is eternal.”
26 tn The words “this prayer” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
27 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
28 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”